Far Away, So Close: A drawer full of memories

An old dresser in a new closet, a time capsule of more memories.. Shared memories, actually. They don't all belong to me and I'm going to take a moment to scrapbook some of those memories.

For example, I found a 4x6 photo of Joe Girardi and I have written on the back,

Rainman
G.I. Joe
The Godfather
I Love A Rainy Night
"Why DIDN'T YOU BRING AN UMBRELLA?!!!!"
"Dear Kayla, Every ball I catch today will be for you. I'd really like to talk to you - meet me across the street - you'll know where I mean. Love, Joe"
Hatred of the Rain
Has a brother named Frank
Autograph: D d=Vi D t + ½a D t2 = ha2 Love Joe

But what does it all mean?! Well, as I recall, now, there was some incident in the players parking lot where we were all soaking wet in the rain and Joe had to run inside because it was raining. He had a buzz cut and is place of employment is outdoors, so you can naturally understand why he was so concerned about running inside quickly.

I also found a bunch of baseball cards and old pictures - both have equal significance in my mind. I made a couple collages that sort of speak to the experience.

For example, these are the guys that I found deeply attractive for the majority of my teen youth.

I had elaborate fantasies about being married to two of them and having sordid (hot & stinky?) affairs with the other two. Mike "The Male" Bielecki was of course a favorite of mine and I felt he might have had a slight issue with beer since his most memorable TV moment was covered in mashed potatoes chugging Old Style after Old Style. He and I were to have several children. Though he was not to be my first husband. Ricky should have been - and we were to have four boys (Rocko, Bronco, Bucko and Bruno - names that sounded good with "Wrona"). Then The Male was to arrive and live a life of beer and have 36 children. I do not remember all their names, unfortunately. I only remember three names - Barney Fred (after Barney's steak house and Fred after the Tarantula), Judd Raxie Hooter (Couldn't remember if he was to be conceived at Rax or Hooters), and Jimmie Joe Dan (named after Jim McMahon, Joe Montana and Dan Marino). The whole married to a drunk thing seems to have perpetuated itself well into my choices for potential mates over the course of my life. Who says there are no self-fulfilling prophecies?

Conversely, these are the blokes that my friend Shan found to be deeply attractive though I clearly never fully understood why. But she always thought my guys were pretty gross so all's fair in love and war.